The Survival of the Third-rate Villain

"Pay your respects..."

"To His Highness, the Second Prince of the Rakon Empire—"

"Aurelian Rakon."

After Ramiel introduced who their guest was, everyone in the audience widened their eyes.

"...!"

The entire auditorium stirred.

Gasps filled the air.

And the students immediately stood up in unison. They were all taken aback!

None of them expected this, even those from the other academies.

Anyway—as soon as they stood, they lowered their heads in formal salute.

Everyone shouted in unison—

""We pay respect to His Highness and the Empire!""

A deafening declaration.

It echoed through the entire auditorium.

Even the headmasters from the three academies followed along. They stood up from their seats and bowed their heads deeply.

The second prince of the Rakon Empire...

Aurelian Rakon.

He stood with a light smile, lifting a hand gently in response to their greeting.

"At ease, everyone."

His voice was clear, noble, and calm.

The students and faculty slowly raised their heads and took their seats again, still visibly shaken by the prince's unexpected appearance.

A royal visit wasn't something you took lightly.

Standing tall with pride, Prince Aurelian walked toward the stage with grace that only royalty could possess.

Tap. Tap. Tap—

And behind him... stood two men.

One wielded a large black halberd strapped to his back.

The other had a golden longsword hanging on his waist.

Both wore imperial military coats with distinct emblems—signs that they were high-ranking members of the Royal Guard.

Their expressions?

Cold.

Void of any emotion.

But what was scarier...

Was the overwhelming pressure they gave off.

S W O O S H~

The kind of pressure that sent chills running through your skin. The kind that made even the professors sit upright.

Even without moving, you could feel it.

Both of them...

They were easily on par with Sariel and Ramiel.

-Hmm... They're not ordinary guards, huh...

Zephyrus mumbled under his breath, keeping his voice low.

-they look intimidating... meep...

Pyro added, tilting his head.

Jerusha, Devin, Lycus, Lena, Sofia, Leon, Allen, and Aria. They were all silent.

No—the entire room was silent, tension still lingering in the air.

But in all that...

There was one person completely unfazed.

"..."

It was Raye.

He leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded as he looked toward the stage.

He wasn't surprised.

Because he knew.

'This part was also in the game.'

He stared at the second prince's back as Aurelian continued toward the center stage.

'At this point in the story, Aurelian shows up during the ceremony...'

'After that, Leon forms a connection with him. Then, several events later, Aurelian will ask Leon for help to become the next Emperor.'

'In return... Aurelian will give Leon his full support and resources to fight against the demon army when they invade.'

He blinked.

'It's an optional quest in the game.'

'You can choose to ignore it completely. The story would still move forward. But doing it makes everything smoother—easier access to weapons, rare skills, artifacts, and even support from the empire's army.'

'So it's definitely worth it.'

Raye smirked a little, his head tilting to the side.

'Let's see how this plays out in real life.'

Then finally, Aurelian reached the front of the stage and stopped before Headmaster Bryan.

The headmaster respectfully bowed his head.

And Aurelian, despite his status, bowed back slightly—just enough to show courtesy.

Then Bryan stepped aside, offering the podium to him.

In front of the podium was a glowing orb-like artifact, floating lightly in the air.

It was an amplification device—a relic-grade artifact that allowed even soft voices to resonate through an entire space.

The auditorium was dead silent again.

All eyes on him.

Aurelian smiled as he faced the crowd.

And when he opened his mouth...

His voice was soft. Calm.

And yet... carried the weight of nobility.

"Students of all four great academies... It is a pleasure to be standing before you today."

He swept his gaze across the seated students.

His golden eyes gleamed.

"You are the pride of the empire... and the hope of the future."

"Your strength, your will, and your potential are the reasons why Rakon and the human domain stands unshaken."

The students straightened in their seats, unconsciously responding to his tone.

Aurelian's gaze wasn't commanding.

It was kind.

But there was something in it that made people want to listen. Made people want to stand taller.

"I am not here to command or lecture. Merely to observe."

He smiled again.

"And perhaps... witness firsthand the spark of our future heroes."

That line alone made some students' faces light up.

He was charismatic. He knew how to speak.

And despite being a prince, he wasn't arrogant or overbearing.

'It was no wonder why Leon would choose to side with him.'

Raye thought, feeling the aura coming from Aurelian first-hand.

"As such, I will not take up much of your time."

He looked toward the headmasters, then back at the students.

"I wish you all the best in the ceremony to come. And may the fire in your hearts burn bright for the future of our great empire."

Then, as gracefully as he started—

He ended his speech with a slight bow.

And the crowd burst into applause.

The students clapped.

The professors followed.

Even some of the stricter academy officials nodded in approval.

Aurelian stepped back from the podium and returned beside Bryan, maintaining his calm composure.

And then, at that moment—

Sariel took the stage.

He stood in front of the podium with his usual serious expression.

The claps slowly died down.

"..."

And silence returned once again.

Sariel nodded at Aurelian before facing the students.

"I thank His Highness Prince Aurelian for gracing us with his presence today."

He slightly bowed his head in the prince's direction, then straightened his posture again.

His tone changed.

Stern.

Focused.

"Now then."

"Today, we are gathered here not only to celebrate the growth and achievements of our students..."

He paused.

His eyes glanced across the hall.

"But also to address matters of importance that will affect your futures."

His words echoed with weight.

Students subtly straightened up again.

Sariel closed his eyes for a moment.

Then opened them.

"Let us begin the event."

And with that—

He declared it.

The official opening of the inter-academy ceremony.